American Heritage seniors learned how to win as freshmen, now can go 3-for-4 on titles

American Heritage seniors Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell and Andrew Chatfield discuss the legacy they leave behind with the Patriots should they win the program's fourth title in five years.

There was once a time when American Heritage was decent as a football program but didn't have any rings to show for it.

That all changed in 2013 when a group led by then-seniors Sony Michel and Isaiah McKenzie gave the Patriots their first state championship. From then on, titles became an expectation at American Heritage.

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"It's state championship or bust around here," said Heritage coach Patrick Surtain, looking to cap his second season as head coach undefeated once again to start 27-0. "[There is no instance] where we can come in second place and be happy about it. It's either win states or season was a failure."

That's the situation a core of freshmen got themselves into when they came in before the 2014 season, and they have delivered. At 3 p.m. on Friday as the Patriots (12-0) go up against Baker County in the Class 5A title game in Orlando's Camping World Stadium, seniors who have been on the varsity team since ninth grade can go out with three championships in four years while extending the overall run to four in five years.

Cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II and Tyson Campbell, defensive ends Andrew Chatfield and John Alyn, wideout Anthony Schwartz and center Zack Zambrano, all whose first impression of high school football was watching seniors like quarterback Torrance Gibson and cornerback Tarvarus McFadden lead the Patriots to back-to-back titles, will look to make one final imprint on the program.

"I tell them all the time, 'Now it's time to create your own legacy,'" Surtain Sr. says. "'What do you want your legacy to be?'"

With six South Florida high school football teams playing in five different title games, Sun Sentinel reporters Wells Dusenbury and David Furones preview the state championships in Orlando this weekend with Fox Sports Florida.

Ask Surtain II and Campbell, and they'll give you a combination of wanting to leave with a third title to their names and going down as one of the best defensive backs to come out of the school. Chatfield he wants to go down as the best No. 9 to don the Patriots' black and gold.

As accomplished as the current seniors are, they learned how to lead from McFadden, now at Florida State, and Gibson, currently at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. after transferring out of Ohio State.

"They showed us how to lead the team – you come out there with your best. Just can't come out there sluggish," Chatfield said. "My freshman year was really about learning how the system runs, learning how Heritage does things."

-Miami was previously not in Patrick Surtain II’s top six. -@SurtainJr, who had an in-home with #Canes last night, says he will consider UM along with others.-Adds @NJS_ERA “recruiting us (Campbell, Chatfield too) hard.” pic.twitter.com/i1Fb1UMxZb

The Patriots, which enter Friday's championship winners of 26 consecutive games going back to their 14-0 season last year, have a highest national ranking of third in one of MaxPreps' two listings.

Their defense, led by U.S. Army All-Americans Surtain, Campbell and Miami-committed defensive tackle Nesta Silvera, will home in on Baker County's run game. The Wildcats (13-1) have thrown the ball fewer than 20 times in their four previous playoff games.

"They're a good running team. They know what they're doing up front. They're blocking well. They're going to stick to their game plan."

Offensively, Heritage will look to get running backs Miles Jones (who with 1,763 all-purpose yards this season just had his Rivals rating bumped up to four stars), Jordan Johnson and Tyler Jones going behind its big offensive line. Dual-threat senior quarterback Cam Smith will look to spread the ball to a receiving corps led by Under Armour All-America selection Anthony Schwartz.